Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-07
FRAUDS IN FLOUR.
The Methods Used by Dealers to De.
ceive Their CuatOmers.

There is no article used which figures as
prominently as -four, yet, Notwithstanding,
few families know anything concerning its
value. People are in the ahabit of buying
from their grocer, and take whatever brand
is sold them without artyl consideration what
ever. This is a great mistake, as a very
small proportion of the flour sold in Omaha
is disposed of over the name of the manu-
facturer, and dealers resort to many little
tricks in order to make consumers believe
that they are getting well-known mill brands
There are, for instances, over twenty brands of
flour known as Superlative on this market,
and nineteen of them are counterfeit. There
is but one mill which manufactures the gen.
uine article, and dealers use the name for the
purpose of deceiving the public and selling a
cheaper grade at an advance in price. A fav-
orite trick with some iohbcrs is the mixing
cheap grades with higher ones: one-third of
inferior flour, with two-thirds Of best
grades, which in reality makes a
fair article of bread, but does not
contain the nutrition which should charac-
terize the genuine article. Some iobbers
have machines made especially for this mix
ing process. For this reason the very best
grades of flour are not as rule handled by
Omaha flour men. Consumers would do
well to refrain from purchasing -four that
does not bear the brand of the manufactur-
ers, as this would lesson in great degree
the practice above mentioned. Situated as
Omaha is with regard to being able to get
the grades necessary to making tirst-cass
grade of flour, it is absolutely imperative
that it should have good Touring mills in or
der to avoid this imposition. The major pOr-
tiOn of the inhabitants depend upon the
bakers for their bread, who use an inferior
grade OF flour, they as a rule being unable to
purchase first-ciass -four in car lots, and
being at the mercy of the -four jobbers, who
works off his mixed articles upon them.
Flour is being jObbed in this city at a profit
taller sells it at another profit, and as stated,
it is of very inferior quality.
If housekeepers would, or could,
rather, purchase tirst-class -four
the difference in the bread produced would
be very noticeable and instead of being eaten
as is the case at present merely TO fill up,
there would be a little genuine pleasure at
meal time A thoroughly posted -four dealer
stated yesterday that the highest priced -four
is the cheapest in the end for the reason that
it produces from 20 to 40 per cent more bread
than the cheaper grades.
Prof. William Jags of England made a re-
port to the crown last year on the wheat and
flour supply of the United Kingdom which
was afterward issued for the use of mllers,
brokers and merchants. 1t stated that upon
the surplus analyzed contained in
crude gluten which is the
nutritious substance from is to 42 per cent
with one exception, that of a well-knowr
Minnesota mill which contains 4S per cent
This last brand is very nearly standard
There are several first-cass brands of flour
on the market, and they are in reality the
best to purchase, and if parties would give
stricter attention to tins one matter alone the
results could not fail to be appreciated, not
only from the fact that better results woulG
be obtained as regards the quality of bread
but from a sanitary standpoint.